http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/press/release.cfm?id=6628&cat=press-release&ref=news-index
In June 2012, deadly communal clashes in Rakhine State
triggered an official state of emergency. Many people were displaced and had
their homes burned down. Rakhine is Myanmar’s second-poorest state and has
historically received less investment in health care than other areas of the
country. A deadly communal clashes broke out in Myanmar's Rakhine state eight
months ago. Tens of thousands of people are still unable to access urgently
needed medical care. Due to the clashes and amidst deep hostility, communities
were divided and separated. A lot of people remain unable to return home and
are instead living in rice fields or other crowded strips of land. They ended
up living in makeshift camps lacking sufficient shelter, water, sanitation, food,
and health care. Lack of access to clean water is the likely cause of the high
rates of diarrhea. Although there is plenty of clean water available, most
displaced people are denied access to it.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is
an international medical humanitarian organization that provides independent,
impartial assistance. MSF calls on government authorities and community leaders
to ensure that all people of Rakhine can live without fear of violence, abuse,
and harassment. Camp residents have many critical medical needs from skin
infections, worms, chronic coughing and diarrhea are the most common ailments
that MSF teams have encountered. MSF has found alarming numbers of severe
acutely malnourished children in several camps. Pregnant women are also denied
access to medical care. In disregard of efforts by MSF medical teams, they also
encountered threats and hostility due to bias by some people of Rakhine
community.
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